Klein's Aaron Clayton, top, and the Bearkats will compete at the regional meet this weekend after qualifying the entire squad in capturing the team's fourth consecutive district championship.

Klein's Aaron Clayton, top, and the Bearkats will compete at the regional meet this weekend after qualifying the entire squad in capturing the team's fourth consecutive district championship.

Photo: Thomas Nguyen, Freelance

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Klein head coach John Banas during a wrestling competition held at Westside High School on 1/9/2013. Photo by Thomas Nguyen.

Klein head coach John Banas during a wrestling competition held at Westside High School on 1/9/2013. Photo by Thomas Nguyen.

Photo: Thomas Nguyen, Freelance

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Khein head coach John Banas disputes a ruling from a referee during a wrestling competition held at Westside High School on 1/9/2013. Photo by Thomas Nguyen.

Khein head coach John Banas disputes a ruling from a referee during a wrestling competition held at Westside High School on 1/9/2013. Photo by Thomas Nguyen.

Photo: Thomas Nguyen, Freelance

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Klein senior Trevor Aspinall earned a regional berth by taking the district title in the 160-pound class.

Klein senior Trevor Aspinall earned a regional berth by taking the district title in the 160-pound class.

Photo: Thomas Nguyen, Freelance

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Klein junior Cody Romero, top, earned a district title in the 113-pound division at the District 9-5A meet last weekend.

Klein junior Cody Romero, top, earned a district title in the 113-pound division at the District 9-5A meet last weekend.

Photo: Thomas Nguyen, Freelance

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Wrestling: Klein brings full squad to regional meet

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It's sort of like a dual match for the Klein Bearkats boys wrestling team, but this time, it's against an ultimate all-star team, and with state berths on the line.

Klein captured its fourth straight District 9-5A championship last week, and in the process, the Bearkats qualified every wrestler for this week's 5A Region 3 Meet at Clear Falls High School in League City.

"That's a huge thing for us and it's only happened to me as a coach one other time when I was at Cy-Fair, and we're hoping to take advantage of having someone in every region weight class," Klein coach John Banas said. "There are a number of teams that have a shot at the (boys) title and every point we can get is going to be important."

More Information

Regional mats

What: Class 5A Region 3 Wrestling meet

When: Friday-Saturday, Feb. 8-9

Where: Clear Falls High School (4380 Village Way, League City)

What's at stake: Boys and girls team titles, and top four in every weight class earn state berths 5A Region 3 includes teams from District 9-5A (Klein and Conroe ISDs), 10-5A (Cy-Fair ISD), 11-5A (Klein ISD and Strake Jesuit), and 12-5A (Clear Creek and Houston ISDs, and Brazoswood)

More information: www.uiltexas.org/wrestling

Klein is the only team to send every wrestler to regionals in the area, and more history will be made at regionals on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 7-8 at Clear Falls (4380 Village Way, League City).

"We've never had a Houston area team win a Region 3 championship because we've always been in the same region with some Dallas teams, but this year, Region 3 is all Houston, and whoever wins will be the first one," Banas said. "Westside was in Region 4 in the past a won a championship there, but no one from around here has ever won Region 3."

Seniors Joseph Lanhan (170) and Evan O'Donnell (132), and freshman Nathan Tollett (106), placed third in district, and senior James Saum (152) was fourth, and they complete the Bearkats' regional entourage.

"It's just going to be so competitive at regionals and it really could come down to the final events," Banas said. "Seven Lakes, (host) Clear Falls and Katy are very solid, and there are a number of other teams that can win it like Morton Ranch, Westside, Cy Woods and Cy-Fair, and what we have to do is take advantage of our numbers and produce points at every level.

"There will be a cluster of teams at the top and it will come down to who shows up and is ready to win, and we're hoping to be right in there."

Klein Collins girls claimed the 9-5A team title with the Klein girls second last week, and the Klein boys junior varsity won its 16th consecutive district crown.

"We always make a big deal out of the junior varsity championship and we tell every JV team at the start of the season that they don't want to be the one to have it come to an end," Banas said. "We firmly believe that you have to promote your JV, and for us, it's a huge part of our success.

"We're going to lose five seniors this year, and a bunch more next year, so the younger guys will be stepping into varsity roles on a pretty big scale."